About Christopher
On attending the University of Illinois:
“When I attended the school it had a diverse curriculum in Design, History, Construction, Technology and a great fourth year study in Versailles. We were blessed with inspiring teachers and opportunities and we embraced the global nature of our profession from a very early age. The design culture of the graduate studios was outstanding and there was very little transition necessary to start professional practice. The School was also very flexible in allowing me independent study opportunities in Rome during the second year in Graduate school. In the end it was the inspiration of the whole experience, coursework, teachers, students and the opportunities to expand our horizons which made the University of Illinois a significant step in my life.”
On hiring Illinois graduates:
“Our choice in hiring graduates from the University of Illinois is based on the comprehensiveness of their education, their ability to study abroad and their strong ability to communicate visually design with a solid background in technical studies.”
History
Christopher Groesbeck, AIA, is an architect, designer and urban planner as well as an Adjunct Professor in the Illinois Institute of Technology’s (IIT) College of Architecture where he teaches senior level design studio’s focused on “Rethinking Metropolis.” A former principal at VOA Associates Inc., he established the Beijing office of VOA and is now a principal and managing partner of UrbanLab.HCD.
Earlier in his career he worked with I.M. Pei and Partners in New York City. His professional involvement includes memberships to the AIA, the Urban Land Institute and the Strategic Advisory Board for the Chicago School of Real Estate at Roosevelt University in Chicago. Chris has over 38 years of professional experience with an expertise in city and community planning as well as design of public assembly spaces and mixed-use developments for corporate and institutional clients both nationally and internationally. He received his Master of Architecture from the University of Illinois in Champaign. His professional work has won numerous awards including the prestigious ULI Global Award of Excellence for the Wabash Tower at Roosevelt University in Chicago. His work in the United States, the EU, the Mideast, Asia and South America is published internationally. Chris is licensed throughout the United States. His focus both in practice and academia is the future of cities and their integration of infrastructure, open space, commercial and residential fabric to create long term health, economy and social justice.